Napos Hazard Hunter:

Lesson One Identification

of risks and hazards
(9 11 years)
Teacher Guidance
It is never too early to introduce children to the basic safety
concepts that for adults come under the umbrella of
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH).
Napo is a charming character who can help children think,
understand and act on safety issues. To find out more about
Napo, click here: www.napofilm.net/en/who-is-napo
There is a wide range of Napo films, so please feel free to
explore them and use in your own classes.
Some of the basic safety concepts in this lesson plan can
link to curriculum already being taught. This resource
presents a range of great ideas which you can use to help
integrate these safety concepts into your lessons. It can
work as a lesson or be part of a wider project. It links to
other subjects, as shown, but its main purpose is to use the
engaging Napo films to teach children about how to take
care of themselves and each other and recognise hazards.
The grid overleaf gives an overview of potential activities,
objectives and resources required for the lesson. This is
followed by a more detailed example three-part lesson plan
with some ideas for extending the learning. In this project
pupils will discover how to recognise the various hazards
that might put them and their friends in danger.
During this project they will be able to develop the skills of
working together to put some of the learning into practice.
If you need more information on basic safety and health
topics raised in this project, you can find it in the corresponding helpsheet for this lesson plan in the third section.

Learning Objectives

Activity Overview

Lesson 1 Napos Hazard Hunter:

Identification of risks and hazards

See Detailed Lesson Plan

To recognise risks and hazards at

school and at home
To evaluate different levels of risks
To work as a team to prepare
materials that demonstrate the
above learning

Resources Required
*

40/45 minutes
Hunt the hazard
Watch the Napo clip provided with this
lesson: www.napofilm.net/en/napofor-teachers/risks-hazardsidentification/video
Film: Risky Business
Scene Risks at home
Scene Assess the risks
Discuss and define the hazards
shown in the scenes and what sort
of other hazards they are aware of.
Encourage children to explain what
a risk and hazard is (see helpsheet).
Hand out Hazard Spotting posters,
and ask children to place a sticker
wherever they find a hazard.
Re-group and ask children individually to say what they have identified
as hazards.

Napo film clip (provided)

Stickers
Hazard Spotting Posters
To download the provided resources,
go to: www.napofilm.net/en/napo-forteachers/resources

Links to Subjects/
Curriculum
Personal, social and health education
Household products, including
medicines, can be harmful if not used
properly
Rules for and ways of keeping safe,
including basic road safety, and
about people who can help them
stay safe
To recognise how their behaviour
affects other people
Science
To recognise that there are hazards in
living things, materials and physical
processes, and assess risks and take
action to reduce risks to themselves
and others
Pupils should obtain an insight into
the use of chemicals at home, their
labelling and handling
Handling of natural and artificial
substances
Citizenship/Education for civil life
To recognise hazards and assess
consequent risks

2/9
Foreign/Native Language
Writing simple sentences to complete a story with a beginning,
middle and end structure

*Detailed Lesson Plan

Learning Outcome
I will be able to explain risks to myself and others around my school and at home
Lesson Objectives
To recognise risks and hazards at school and at home
To evaluate different levels of risks
Starter
5 minutes
Show the Napo provided with this lesson
What is a hazard?
Why should we prevent hazards for ourselves and others?
Possible activities:
40 minutes
Show the rest of the scenes provided with this lesson.
1. Make a list of the dangers as demonstrated in the Napo film.
2. Discuss why the clip work well to remind us of risks.
3. Encourage children to explain what a risk and hazard is.
4. Hand out Hazard Spotting posters, and ask children to place a sticker wherever
they find a hazard.
5. Re-group and ask children individually to say what they have identified as
hazards and why.
Plenary and Assessment
At the end of the lesson pupils can make up a song, rap or rhyme that sums up
what they have learnt about Hazard Hunting.
Teacher and students assess their learning using this tool:
Gold:

I can explain at least three types of risk or hazard to myself and others.
I can evaluate the level of risk.

Silver:

I can explain a hazard and a risk (for myself and for others) at home and in
the classroom.

Bronze: I can explain what a hazard is.

3/9

Extension Work
Presentation/discussion on the variety of typical risks we may encounter based
on a selection of Napo clips (road accidents, electricity, slips and trips, falls
from height e.g. stairs, chemicals, noise).
A list of potential Napo clips for extension work can be found here:
www.napofilm.net/en/napos-films

Hazard Spotting Poster

Watch out ON THE BUILDING SITE of Hazard House

4/9

Hazard Hunting/Spotting Report Sheet (optional tool)

Name (pupil/ group) __________________________________________________________________________________________

Which risk? Explain what is causing the danger?

5/9

Where? Explain where it is

Hazard House: SOLUTIONS

15

5
8

14
10

11

12
13

6/9

16

1) Worker on roof (not harnessed), harness tied to the chimney which is not a
proper anchor point.
2) Tools balancing on roof likely to fall.
3) Rung broken on ladder risk of falling.
4) Ladder balanced on uneven surface risk of falling.
5) Ladder propped across another uneven surface risk of falling.
6) Napette (not harnessed) leaning out of window to clean it risk of falling.
7) Boss on phone on construction site. His attention is diverted and he will not
identify hazards as easily.
8) Ditch (trip hazard) not marked.
9) Napo not wearing the available protective gloves.
10) Napo not using the protective hearing equipment available.
11) Sparks near to flammable liquid risk of fire.
12) Cable is a trip hazard (repaired with adhesive tape).
13) Trip hazard with the tool (rake) left on floor.
14) Balancing on wooden box instead of using a proper leader risk of falling.
15) Not wearing the available protective gloves.
16) Trip hazard left in middle of lawn.

HELP SHEET FOR TEACHERS

Napos Hazard Hunter: Lesson One
Identification of risks and hazards
Napo in Risky business
Risky business is a short film about hazards and risks at work, and the need to
assess risks and act on the findings to make workplaces safer and healthier. The
film looks at hazards and some of the most common workplace risks, and the
need to: Stop, Think and Act.
The film seeks to explain the difference between hazards and risks, how these
can be eliminated or reduced, and to demonstrate these through practical situations so that there is a greater understanding of the meaning of Risk.
Risk assessment
Our aim is to make risk assessment and its importance in the prevention of
accidents and ill health at work more clearly understood. Specifically we aim to:
Explain the difference between hazard and risk
Provide an introduction to risk assessment
Illustrate, by example, what we mean
Provide a bridge between the theory and the practice
Why carry out a risk assessment?
Risk assessment is the basis for successful safety and health management, and
the key to reducing work-related accidents and occupational diseases. If it is
implemented well, it can improve workplace safety and health and business
performance in general.
What is risk assessment?
Risk assessment is the process of evaluating risks to workers safety and health
from workplace hazards. It is a systematic examination of all aspects of work that
considers:
What could cause injury or harm
Whether the hazards could be eliminated and, if not,
What preventive or protective measures are, or should be, in place to control
the risks

7/9

Typical risks in workplaces (many of them are present at home too) include:
Electricity
Fire
Tools, especially cutting tools such as blades or knives
Machinery
Slipping on the floor, falling from ladders or stairs, falling from height
(e.g. from a scaffolding or from a roof)
Transport (to vehicles, drivers or pedestrians)
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to handling heavy loads, twisting and
turning, posture (e.g. work with VDUs), repetitive movements (e.g. on an
assembly line)
Chemicals immediate damage due to inhalation, burns or irritated skin, and
long-term effects such as cancer, respiratory diseases and allergies)

 Biological bacteria, fungi or virus, e.g. hospital, laboratory of medical analysis,

poor maintenance of the air conditioning plant
Noise, vibrations, laser radiation, ionizing radiations, electromagnetic fields,
UV rays, etc
There are a variety of episodes taken from different Napo films that can be used
to present most of these risks. (table A)
The five-step approach to risk assessment
This lesson focuses on the first two steps to risk assessment; identifying hazards
and those at risk and evaluating and prioritising risks. The other three steps are
presented in lesson 2 of Napos Hazard Hunter.
Step 3 Deciding on preventive action, Step 4 Taking action, Step 5 Monitoring
and reviewing are covered by the second Napo Hazard Hunter lesson entitled intervention and prevention.
Step 1 Identifying hazards and those at risk
Remember: a hazard can be anything work materials, equipment, work
methods or practices that has the potential to cause harm.
Here are some tips to help identify the hazards that matter:
Walk around and look at what could cause harm
Ask those in the area about problems they have encountered
Consider hazards such as noise or exposure to harmful substances, which have
long-term effects, as well as the more obvious hazards like slips ad trips
For each hazard it is important to be clear about who could be harmed. Identify
groups of people, not individuals, such as stores, library or passers-by. Some
groups might be at greater risk than others, for example people with a disability,
young children or older people. (see episode 2 Identify the unknown in Napo
in Risky business)
Step 2 Evaluating and prioritising risks
Remember: a risk is the chance, high or low, that somebody may be harmed by
the hazard.
The next step is evaluating the risk arising from each hazard. Consider:
How likely it is that a hazard will cause harm
How serious that harm is likely to be
How often (and how many) workers are exposed
8/9
A straightforward process based on judgement and requiring no specialist skills
or complicated techniques is sufficient for many workplace hazards or activities.
These include activities with hazards of low concern, or workplaces where risks
are well known or readily identified. Risks should then be prioritised and tackled
in that order.
The top priority is risks that cause serious accidents (e.g. falls from height) and
those that have a high probability to cause accidents (e.g. slippery or damaged
floors). (see episode Assess the risk in Napo in Risky business)

Table A
Risk

Film

Scene

Hit by a vehicle

Napo in Safe on site

6. Keep them apart

Hurrying or a
lack of concentration

Napo in Clean sweep

1. Change of plan

Being tired and

in a hurry

Napo in Safe maintenance

5. In a rush

High speed and

hidden risks

Napo in Risky business

5. Risky combination

Road accidents

Fire
Fire

Napo in Danger chemicals

3. Flammable

Fire

Best signs story

2. Prohibition sign No smoking

Fire

Best signs story

4. Rescue sign emergency exit

Fire

Best signs story

5. Fire protection sign fire extinguisher

Napo in: Safety in

and outside of work

Sequence of Napo preparing the

party lights

Electricity
Electricity

Machinery
Machinery

The adventures of Napo

5. The right protection at the right time

Machinery

Napo in Risky business

1. Caution hazards

Stop that noise

Full film

Napo in Danger chemicals

Full film

Risk of slipping

The adventures of Napo

1. Why signposting is important

Falling down stairs

The adventures of Napo

2. Signposting is not sufficient

Falling down stairs

Napo in: Safety in

and outside of work

Sequence of Napo on the

stairs full of objects

Noise
Exposure to noise
Chemicals
Chemical risks
Slips and falls

Fall from height

Napo in Safe on site

2. Dont fall for it

Falling objects

Napo in Safe on site

1. Building in safety

Heavy loads

Napo in Safe on site

5. Lightning strike

Heavy loads

Napo in Lighten the load

3. Divide and rule

Heavy loads

Napo in Lighten the load

10. Hold me tight

Heavy loads

Napo in Lighten the load

6. The duel

Bad posture

Napo in Lighten the load

5. Radical ergonomics

Bad posture

Napo in Lighten the load

8. Think and move

Napo in Lighten the load

4. Bad vibrations

Manual handling

9/9

Vibrations
Vibrations

The second lesson of Napos Hazard Hunter introduces the other side of Risk Assessment:
Intervention and prevention.
This teaching resource has been produced by EU-OSHA in consultation with the Napo Consortium
HSE (UK); DGUV (Germany); INAIL (Italy); INRS (France); SUVA (Switzerland); and AUVA (Austria).